Women take to the gridiron field

American football is swinging into full motion in Victoria, as more women line up to give the tough and athletic sport a go. The new season for the rapidly growing sport starts tomorrow.

By DONAL STOTT

Full contact women’s American football is a relatively new concept in Victoria, but in the league’s second year, it has already doubled in size.

The first women’s team in Victoria was founded in 2012 and a year later, two more teams appeared and Victoria saw its first full kit women’s gridiron competition.

Now the women’s competition is six teams strong.

Not only has the league doubled in size but also, it has moved from seven-a-side football to nine-a-side, dramatically increasing the number of players needed.

Melbourne University Chargers player and team manager Hayley Fleming is excited by the growth in the league and thinks it will continue next year.

“We got twice as many teams as last year, that’s amazing … I reckon we could see two more teams next year,” she says.

The dramatic increase in the league's size could be partly due to the sport's accessibility to  women of all sizes and backgrounds.

“You can play it [gridiron] even if you’re a completely unfit, unco 33-year-old smoker … you can be tiny and skinny or gigantic and fat and you can still play,” she said.

“We’ve got women in the early 20s and late 30s; we’ve got office workers, students, [and] mums all playing together and being best buds.”

Last year’s Legends Football League (LFL) – better known as lingerie football – also contributed to the raised profile of the sport within Victoria.

Ms Fleming believes the LFL hasn’t been entirely helpful to girls wanting to play.

“The LFL was a blessing and a curse. It got people noticing women’s gridiron, but at the same time they kind of just take the piss out of us now,” she says.

“There’s still the belief the women can’t play this kind of sport.”

Melbourne University Chargers offensive co-ordinator John Chin is impressed by the women he has been coaching.

“We don’t modify anything for them,” he says.

He believes the women’s league is a great step forward in growing the game in Victoria.

“If you want to grow the sport… it’s the right direction,” he says.

As well as in Victoria, there are leagues in NSW, QLD, ACT and WA, all of which are steadily growing.

However, one of the barriers to playing the sport is the cost of the protective gear.

To help combat this, Melbourne University’s senior team has been lending its gear to the women’s team, making it easier for them to play.

“There’s a good camaraderie between the two teams … equipment is always going to be expensive but it shouldn’t be a barrier,” Mr Chin says.

The first game of the year is tomorrow, October 4. The seasons lasts nine weeks, with a two-week finals series.